


starts with truth

by elareine



Category: Avenger - Fandom, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Canon Minor Character Death, Implied/Referenced Sex, Misunderstandings, Multi, Polyamory, Tension, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-08
Updated: 2018-01-08
Packaged: 2019-03-02 12:03:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13317705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elareine/pseuds/elareine
Summary: In which Steve asked Tony and Pepper for help in finding Bucky, and in the process found something else entirely.





	starts with truth

**Author's Note:**

  * For [navaan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/navaan/gifts).



> Dear navaan, I hope you enjoy what I made of your prompt. I certainly loved the idea. 
> 
> Beta by the amazing prettylittlepliers. Thank you. You make everything better.
> 
> Title comes from a quote by Santosh Kalwar: “Trust starts with truth and ends with truth.” 
> 
> Timelines are fudged in this. I'm not even sorry.

 

“Look, I’m no genius,” and by the overly patient tone Sam was using Steve knew something was up. 

Natasha sensed it, too, because she raised an eyebrow. “But?” 

“You’re trying to search for a man on the run. Highly skilled assassin. Could be anywhere in the world, including countries that probably won’t welcome an Avenger or two in a friendly way.” 

“Yes.” Okay, it sounded pretty damning, summarized like that, but this was Bucky. Steve had been in tighter situations for less important goals. 

Sam sighed. “So why aren’t we calling the local tech genius that happens to be your friend again?” 

Steve stiffened. Natasha wouldn’t ever allow herself so obvious a give-away, but the air around her tensed slightly. 

Sam clearly noticed, because he lifted both hands in the air and murmured: “Alright, alright. Touchy subject.”

“Where did the idea come from?” Steve asked, unwilling to explain himself to Sam. He just didn’t have any reason to trust Stark - Tony. Not really.

“Oh, you know, he’s been calling you every three minutes now,” Sam answered, overly casual and pointing at Steve’s phone (something in him still shuddered at using that word in connection with the small miracle he now carried around with him) on the table next to them. Oh. Steve hadn’t noticed that. Must have put it on silent. “Also, pretty sure that’s him.” 

Natasha and Steve turned around, and sure enough, Iron Man was approaching them at blinding speed. For a second, Steve wondered how he found them - then Tony was landing and flipping his visor up. 

For a moment, there was silence. Then Tony asked: “What the fuck happened here?” 

“Shouldn’t you know that?” Steve shot back, his anger at the situation finally finding a deserving target. “That was your technology.”

But Tony didn’t look fazed. “Or maybe - just maybe - I’m not the only one good with tech in the world. The best with it - yes. Most likely. But Fury can pay enough to get other people to take apart my inventions and invert their purpose. Which  _ you _ should know,” he pointed to Natasha, “since you were the one who signed off on the recommendation to circumvent me in this.” 

Steve turned to her: “What?” 

Natasha stayed silent. 

“It was a long flight from Malibu. Plenty of time to look at everything SHIELD had in those oh-so-secure clouds. And you were right,” Tony mused. “Wouldn’t have done it. Fury might have believed in casualties. I don’t anymore.”

Natasha just asked, cool again: “Still disrespecting the dead, Stark?” 

Steve was about to object to that - no need to draw out the charade more than necessary - but to his surprise, Tony rolled his eyes. “Right, because I trust SHIELD with the confirmation of anyone’s death. That worked out so well in the past. He’s in that old basecamp in xxx, xxx. No hiding zombies from me, baby.” 

“You didn’t know about Coulson.” 

“To be fair, I  _ was _ a bit distracted at the time,” Tony shrugged, “but it’s all about knowing to look. Remember those missiles, Cap? Not my shit, either.” 

Unwilling as Steve was to admit it, but: “True.” And there they went again, his good reasons to distrust Tony Stark. Except the man was still an unreliable playboy, he reminded himself. He wasn’t coming from nowhere, here. 

Tony looked a bit surprised at his admission, but he quickly turned to Sam, who had been studying him silently up till now. “I have no idea who you are, by the way, but there was some footage of the fights. Great job.” He flashed him a thumbs-up. 

Sam looked distinctly unimpressed, but he just replied with: “Thanks.” 

Tony faced to Natasha and Steve again, turning serious. “I see that the clean-up is progressing well and everything. Just - if you need anything, let me know, okay? A place to stay, equipment, support in any shape or form… Anything.” 

Steve was surprised once again. That was - “Thank you, Tony.” 

“Cap.” For once, Tony’s eyes didn’t look playful. The visor snapped shut before Steve could analyze them further. “I was in Malibu. Those missiles were pointed at Stark Tower because Pepper was identified as a possible criminal.” 

“ _ What _ ?” That was Steve and Natasha speaking in unison. “Who in their right might would target Ms. Potts?” 

“No one, but plenty of people do.” Iron Man shrugged again, a very Tony-like gesture in a metal knight. “So. Offer still stands. If any of you need a place to stay or anything - my doors will open for you. Literally. Jarvis, take note.” 

Presumably, the AI replied. Steve wouldn’t have heard, because Iron Man was taking off again. 

Sam was staring up at the sky in a casual pose, looking way too innocent. “Look, all I’m saying is, you got his offer, man. I’m with you either way, but maybe being smart wouldn’t hurt?”

 

“That’s gonna be an international shitshow,” was Tony’s first comment when Steve finished his requests. He’d come alone. Natasha would have just unnecessarily complicated the situation and Sam had told him he would follow Steve everywhere, but maybe just if it was urgent, because he, unlike other people, actually needed breakfast.

“Let me handle that,” Ms. Potts asserted calmly. “You find him, I’ll handle the politics.”

“Probably better,” Tony grinned, “politicians don’t seem to like me much, these days.” 

“What do you mean, ‘these days’”, Ms. Potts muttered, and Tony laughed. 

“But - you can find him?” Steve asked, hope rearing its head for the first time. 

“Sure. As I said before - you need to know to look.” 

“Can you tell us everything you know about Hydra?” Ms. Potts requested. “Imagine we know nothing.”

Steve did, trying to put everything into chronological order and highlighting his sources. It was weird, opening up about everything he knew to people he wasn’t good friends with or working for. Ms. Potts was taking notes, while Tony (unlikely as he was to need help remembering something) was typing away on his pad. Steve could only hope that it was something related to the situation. 

Apparently it was, because he pulled up a picture of Bucky (an old one, back before - all of this) and said: “I’ll need a detailed description of how he changed, physically speaking. We’ll make a 3D model.” Seeing Steve’s confusion, he added, “If I’m going to sic every security camera I can feasibly hack on him, an accurate description of what to look for helps. I can’t physically look at all the footage. We got his facial structure, which is hugely helpful - you have no idea how often eyewitnesses fuck that one up - but we don’t want my AIs to get confused by hair length or a beard.” 

“Oh.” Steve thought about that for a second. He’d always had an eye for detail, but working with computer models… “I could make some drawings for you? Multiple perspectives?” 

Tony flashed him a thumbs up and turned back to the screen.  

“Any predictions of where he’ll go?” Ms. Potts asked. 

It hurt, but: “No,” Steve admitted. “I can’t even be sure he didn’t go back to Hydra.”

She looked up, a sympathetic expression on her face. “You said he’s been experiencing brainwashing?” 

“He didn’t recognize me at first,” Steve explained, carefully keeping his tone even. “Didn’t seem to know who he was, either. The last time I saw him was in 19xxx, falling off a Soviet train. Hydra had plenty of time to work on him.” 

From the corner of his eyes, he saw Tony’s shoulder tense. 

“I’ll make a list of psycho-social support programs,” Ms. Potts offered. “We know a few excellent trauma specialists. I’m sure there are experts on long-term brainwashing, too. We might have to look at cult specialists if we don’t want to go to the military…” Her voice trailed off as she made note after note. 

“You don’t need to do all of that,” Steve protested. “I just - I just need to know where he is.” 

“And then everything will be magically okay?” Tony asked. 

“I didn’t say that,” Steve gritted out.  

“Then let Pepper do what she’s good at.” 

“I know it doesn’t feel like it right now, but this is about more than you and Bucky,” Ms. Potts added, her voice gentle but firm. “We want to make sure this doesn’t become a politicum, Steve. And that includes having proof that he’s not criminally responsible.” 

“Not to mention being a decent human being and getting the guy help he’ll desperately need,” Tony muttered. 

For a moment, Steve wanted to rear up and fight. Spit out that he didn’t need their help. This was Bucky. Of course he wasn’t responsible. 

Then he deflated. His anger was misplaced. They were willing to do what he asked of them and go above and beyond to help him and his friend - what more, exactly, could he ask of them? 

So he made himself smile. It was probably a bit strained. “If you’re sure you’re not too busy…” 

To his amusement, Ms. Potts and Tony made an identical gesture in reply, waving off his concern. Some of the tension went out of the room. 

Ms. Potts finished her line of writing and checked it over once again. Seemingly satisfied with what she saw, she nodded to herself and stood up. “Now, you’re staying with us, yes?” 

“Uh.” 

It wasn’t that Steve wanted to, not exactly. But where else could he go? And, well. It would be practical. 

Belatedly, he realized that Ms. Potts was still waiting for an answer. “If it isn’t too much of a bother. Thank you."

She smiled. “You’re welcome. And Steve?” 

“Yes?” 

“Call me Pepper.” 

 

For a few weeks, they might as well have lived in different cities for all that he saw them. Steve’s bedroom was close to theirs and they used the same kitchen and living room (if that was the right way to describe this huge open-floor plan of monster of an apartment), but Ms. Potts - Pepper - and Tony were seemingly never there. 

Then, one evening, a gentle chime alerted Steve of Jarvis’ wish to speak with him. “Yes?” 

“Your presence is requested in the living room, sir.” 

Steve shook his head as he got up. “Why doesn’t Tony just knock on the door? It’s right there.” 

“I believe he wanted to give you more space to refuse, sir.” 

That gave Steve pause for a second. Tony? Considerate? Seemed a bit suspicious. Was it Avengers business again? Paperwork, maybe?

But when Steve opened the door, he was greeted with the sight of his hosts lounging on the couch, both holding beer bottles. Pepper was still dressed in her business attire, but she’d taken her jewellery and shoes off and her hair was tied into a loose bun. Tony was in sweatpants and a soft-looking t-shirt. 

They looked really, really hot. 

_ Not appropriate to think about a couple, Steve,  _ he told himself and greeted them.

“Hey, Steve,” Pepper smiled. “Want to join us for a movie?” 

“Not just  _ a  _ movie - Star Wars! We figured it was time for a marathon, with the new one coming out and all that.” Tony must have seen Steve’s confusion, for he followed it up with, “Oh, haven’t caught up that far yet? They’re space westerns, and they’re fucking  _ great _ .” 

Steve smiled. That hadn’t been what he was confused about - Star Wars was on his catch-up list - but Tony’s enthusiasm was infectious. “Are you sure I won’t intrude?” 

“Never. Get your ass down, Cap, and prepare to be educated about the greatest movies ever made.” 

 

After that, movie evenings became a regular occurence. The three of them on the couch, eating take-out, exchanging jokes and opinions on movies. Tony ranted about how physics didn’t work that way, really; Pepper complained about the costumes female actors were forced to wear (“How - I’m used to high heels, but even I can’t sprint through rubble like that!”; and Steve exaggerated his wonder at modern times for their entertainment. 

Everything changed when, one night, they got up from the couch, Steve heading for his bedroom, Tony and Pepper for theirs. It was fairly obvious what was on their minds. Their wandering hands had been impossible to ignore all evening. They had even accidentally caressed him a few times. Steve didn’t like to admit it, but that feeling, fleeting as it might have been, would play a prominent role in his imaginings tonight.

“Good night,” he called after the two. 

“Oh, we will have that.” Tony was as rakish as ever, and Steve laughed, thinking this was it. 

Then Tony took a visibly deep breath and turned around, and Steve didn’t have more than a split second to wonder what was happening because Tony asked: “Wanna join us?” 

What? 

“What?” 

Tony shrugged. Steve still didn’t know the man all that well, but even he could see that his casualness was forced. 

Pepper was leaning against the doorframe, smiling at him invitingly, her long hair falling down her shoulders, hip cocked out. It was a lovely pose. 

It took Steve an embarrassingly long time to realize that they were acting like that because they thought they had to convince him. 

“Of course!” he blurted out. Then he blushed. “Uh.”

And what was he supposed to do  _ now _ ? This was pretty much both the most amazing and most awkward thing that had ever happened to him. 

Tony was openly grinning, and Pepper had relaxed, too. Her warm eyes watched Tony as he made his way back to Steve, gently grabbing him by the elbows and pulling him up. “Need some instructions, buddy?” 

Steve nodded. Standing, he was suddenly aware of how much taller he was than both of them - but that didn’t help him right now, only made him feel cumbersome, unsure of how to move. 

But Tony steered him gently but firmly towards the bedroom, and Pepper took his hand and said: “Just follow my lead, Steve. We’ll make it good for you.” 

And they did. 

They touched him all over, with a surety and tenderness that made Steve feel like his lust would drive him out of his skin every second now, but Pepper’s voice kept him grounded. She directed Tony, told him to suck Steve off (and by all that was holy, Steve would never think of that mouth the same way again), soothing Steve when he got close and wanted more, delaying his climax until he was close to begging. 

It was good. So good that Steve almost didn’t notice that he barely got to touch them. Sure, he held on to Tony’s shoulders (careful, always careful not to hurt him), leaned into Pepper’s caresses, but when he’d tried to reciprocate, they’d hushed him. It was Pepper who called the shots, but shied away from a gentle caress of her naked hip. It was Tony who got the two of them off, once Steve had come and was lying there, half-comatose. 

Steve almost didn’t notice that they were still a unit, the two of them, with him as the novelty in their bed. The outsider. 

Almost.

 

Waking up the next morning was… awkward. If Pepper and Tony had seemed reluctant to fully invite him into their bed, they had certainly thought nothing of falling asleep right next to him. At least Tony’s bed was easily big enough to accommodate all of them. 

Also, Tony was the small spoon. Steve wasn’t even remotely surprised anymore. 

So what was the modern protocol for waking up next to a couple that you had fantastic sex with, but were starting to think you might want more with? Come to think of it, Steve wasn’t even sure what the protocol in his own time would have been.

Luckily, he didn’t have time to think about it, start to panic, or kiss them awake, or anything equally stupid, because Tony’s and his phones chimed with identical notifications. Work was calling. 

“Avengers fucking assemble,” Tony grumbled next to him. Look who wasn’t a morning person, Steve thought, amused and endeared. 

Pepper sat up. “Where are you off to?” she asked. 

Steve checked his phone. “Sokovia.” 

Tony yawned and sat up, all without opening his eyes. “Looks like they found good old Baron Wolfgang von Strucker.” 

“That’s a Hydra name if I ever heard one.” 

“Got it in one, Cap. No sign of your friend there, but we’ll keep an eye out.” 

Unexpectedly, Pepper laughed. “You’ll need to open yours for that, first. I’ll get the coffee.” 

“You’re the best!” Tony called after her. Steve couldn’t agree more. 

 

Days later, they were on their way to Sokovia once again. The Helicarrier was quiet. Most people were napping, or at least convincingly pretending to. Tony was in the pilot seat. Finally, Steve couldn’t stand the quiet anymore and moved to join him. With Tony, it was never silent. 

True to form, Tony said, “We still got an hour to go, Cap. No need to put on those breeches yet.” 

Steve rolled his eyes. “What do you suggest I change into in the meantime? Some comfy sweatpants?” 

“Hmm, why not - no, wait, on second thought, those might be too distracting right now,” Tony leered. It made him look like that painting of Bacchus Steve had seen once. (Not unattractive, though. Tony never was, damn him.)

“Distracting?” 

“You have no idea how your ass looks in those pants, do you?” 

Steve decided to play along. “Better than in my uniform?” 

“A very different kind of turn-on, though no less spectacular,” Tony informed him. They both laughed. 

Speaking of spectacular: “Did you call Pepper? Or does she know where we’re going?” 

Tony slapped the hand that wasn’t holding the steering pad against his forehead. “Oh, right. Computer, call Pepper.” 

For a few seconds, the dial tone could be heard, but Pepper picked up almost immediately. Her voice was frantic through the receiver. “Tony? Jarvis isn’t responding anymore. What’s happening? Are you alright? I thought you saved him?” 

“It’s - it’s complicated, Pepper, I’m sorry, but we’re okay. Jarvis is gone. The rest of his consciousness is in a new being, now. I’ll make a new AI when… when I have time.” 

There was a silence. Steve expected Pepper to ask where they were going, to worry about the upcoming battle, maybe, but instead she just said: “Oh, Tony, I’m so sorry.” 

“Yeah.” Tony’s face looked empty. Steve was mentally kicking himself - he had been so busy being angry at the consequences that he hadn’t realized what losing Jarvis would mean to Tony. The AI had been like a member of his family. 

He put a hand on Tony’s shoulder and squeezed gently. Tony looked up in surprise, then visibly decided not to comment. Still, Steve thought he was leaning into his hand as he continued to speak: “We’re headed to Sokovia now, Pepper. Ultron is there and needs to be stopped.” 

Suddenly, Steve was glad that they couldn’t see Pepper’s face like this. But her voice was bad enough, tight with worry when she said: “I understand. Is Steve there?” 

Steve flinched. What had he been thinking? This was clearly a private talk between the two of them. He should have removed himself minutes ago. 

Tony didn’t seem angry, but Steve was starting to figure out that the other was surprisingly laid back about boundaries. “Yeah, we’re both here. His idea to call, actually.” 

Pepper chuckled. It only barely sounded forced. “Thanks, Steve, I appreciate it.” 

Steve took that as his cue to leave. “You’re welcome,” he mumbled as he scrambled to get up, inelegant as he seldomly was in this body. “Uh, I’ll leave you two to it.” 

His enhanced hearing allowed him to hear the “Good luck” Pepper called after him, but he made himself stop listening after that. None of his business, he reminded himself. None whatsoever. 

 

After Sokovia - after everything - it felt like an ending of something great. Still, Steve thought as he observed the new team in his hangar, he was genuinely excited about this new beginning, too. God knew Sam and Colonel Rhodey had earned their places on this team. Wanda was a little too young for Steve to be comfortable, not to mention still grieving about her brother, but he was sure they’d work the kinks out. The Vision was a bit of a wildcard. Steve didn’t mind. He had Natasha with him, after all. 

And Tony, freshly retired from the Avengers, was standing next to him, still, the same pride in his eyes. 

“You’ll do good.” 

“Doesn’t mean you won’t be missed.”  _ I’ll miss you _ , was what Steve wanted to say. Now that Tony was stepping back a bit (from the Avengers, at least, if not necessarily from Iron Man), trying to put his life back together after this disaster, he surely wouldn’t be as much a part of Steve’s life as he had been those last few months. They had Avengers headquarters now. Steve had a place to live again. 

He was surprised to find how sad that idea made him. 

“I’ll see you at the tower later?” Tony asked. Steve could have sworn he saw some vulnerability in his face, but he couldn’t be sure, because he was busy being shocked and hopeful.

“You will?” he asked, only to immediately follow it up with: “I mean, yes. If that’s alright with you.” 

Tony’s smile turned brighter. “Of course. Told you, Cap, you have a home with us as long as you want to. I’m still looking for your pal, after all.” 

Right. That. 

Steve watched him go, his heart lighter than it had been in days. Tonight, he’d get to see Pepper again - hear her thoughts on their giant fuck-up, maybe, or just talk about other things, with Tony interjecting comments without looking away from whatever it was he was tinkering on now. It was a nice thought. Something to look forward to, for once. 

 

There was one document Steve had been avoiding so far. He couldn’t even blame his subconscious for that; he’d looked at the document title and his brain went ‘No, sir, not going in there’. 

The file was simply called “Targets”.

It was the kill list. 

He had to face it now. Tony was getting closer to finding Bucky - almost had real time updates, by now. As soon as Bucky would actually stay somewhere for longer than a day or two, they’d have him. Steve had to go into that meeting with his eyes open, both for his sake and that of his allies. 

It wasn’t even that he was afraid of seeing a specific name on the list. (At this point, he was fully expecting Kennedy to be on it. Steve had seen those documentaries Jarvis put on for him, okay.) There would be innocents on it. All human life was precious. A killer was a killer. 

Steve had decided that in Bucky’s case there were extenuating circumstances, and his friends were supportive of that. It made him feel like a hypocrite that he couldn’t stomach seeing the body count his best friend had left, nonetheless. 

With that thought giving him new determination, he opened the file. 

At first, it was fine. The sheer length made him swallow, but he worked his way through every name carefully, asking Friday to pull up newspaper articles about these people. Some of them were famous, some of them weren’t. Americans, but also people from South America, Africa, Asia, Europe… Even within the then Soviet Union the Winter Soldier had been sent to eliminate rivals, Steve noted. He silently thanked God that Bucky at least couldn’t have done the Trotsky assassination, that had been in 1940. 

Some of them had died in ‘accidents’. Some peacefully in their sleep, taken by an overdose that was later ascribed to be suicide. 

Some had died violently, and painfully, and slowly.

Steve had almost made it to the end when he saw a pair of names that made him freeze.

_ 1991: Howard & Maria Stark, USA.  _

Oh, no.

This might change everything. If he told Tony - if he showed him - then Tony wouldn’t continue searching. Or he would, and demand that Bucky would be locked up, at the very least. He would be well within his rights to do so. Bucky killed his  _ parents _ , for God’s sake. 

Steve couldn’t allow that to happen. He had to protect Bucky - he was brainwashed, he reminded himself, he didn’t do this stuff on purpose - Steve couldn’t lose his friend again, not like this, not now - 

He wanted to punch himself in the face. 

Steve had always thought that the end doesn't justify the means, and the events in this new millenium had only strengthened his belief. When had he become a coward? He had to tell Tony and Pepper. He owed it to them to at least try. If they turned against Bucky (against Steve), he would consider his next steps. 

Steve squared his shoulders and asked Friday: “Where are Mr. Stark and Ms. Potts?” 

“In the workshop, sir.” 

 

“Cap!” Tony greeted him cheerfully, straightening up from the construction he was bent over. From the armchair behind him, Pepper greeted Steve with one of those bright smiles. 

Sadly, Steve was in no mood to appreciate the sight. “Tony. I need to tell you something. I looked through the files and -”

“Hold up a second. Scotch?” Tony interrupted him. 

When Steve shook his head, and so did Pepper, he poured himself a generous measure, half of which he immediately downed. “Okay. Not ready still, but speak.”

Well, there was no point in talking around it. “I think - according to the file, your parents were killed.” He swallowed and forced the next words to come out by sheer force of will. “By the Winter Soldier. By Bucky.” 

There was silence for a moment. Steve’s eyes anxiously flickered from one face to another, making sure to pay special attention to Tony’s hands. Surely, this was the calm before the storm. Surely there would be some sort of strong reaction now, and it would all come tumbling down. 

Instead, Tony sighed and looked down at his glass. “I knew.” 

Steve stared: “You did?”

“I was the one who got us these files, and of course Jarvis immediately told me that my parents’ names had come up.”

“I - you didn’t tell me.” 

“No.” 

“Why?” 

“Figured you’d find out eventually. And, well, not gonna lie, I was curious whether you’d tell me.” 

Tony didn’t look apologetic in the slightest, and Steve wanted to be angry. Really. But - he  _ had _ hesitated. 

“And you still agreed to help me?” Or was this a trap? Was Tony looking for Bucky, but with a very different aim? 

Tony didn’t answer his question. Instead, he told Steve: “I’ve been looking for their murderers for a long time.” 

“I thought - I’ve always been told it was an accident, until now?” Steve asked, confused. 

Tony downed some more scotch. “There was a company director - his best friend, my guardian, all that. Obadiah Stane. He tried to get me killed when I became too difficult to control.” Seeing Steve’s frown, he explained, “This was before you defrosted. Anyway, he didn’t succeed - obviously - but once I found out his true asshole nature, I considered the timing of my dad’s death a bit too coincidental. And the fact that my mother died points to him.” 

“If they only wanted to take out the genius weapons manufacturer, why target his wife, too?” Steve said slowly. He could see where this was going, and he didn’t like it. 

“She might have been collateral damage, but… she never liked Stane all that much. He wouldn’t have been able to influence her as easily. So, yes, pretty sure Stane paid Hydra to take care of that for him. Bit of a shock to find out Bucky pulled the trigger, though.” Something around his mouth hardened. “My mother didn’t deserve to die this way.” 

Steve decided that this was probably the worst possible moment to delve into whatever fucked up Tony’s relationship with his father. Instead, he agreed gently: “No, she didn’t.” 

“But - Bucky didn’t deserve that, either. I mean, yeah, at first I really wanted to kill him. I’m being honest here, it’s difficult to find pity for the person who killed your parents. But -” Tony held up a hand to stop any objections Steve might have had, “Pepper talked me down, and she’s right. Let’s blame the bastards that turned your friend into a killing machine and the bastard that probably paid them to use him, okay? One of those is dead. I’m pretty sure we can agree on what the other group deserves.” 

“We do,” Steve said, and meant it. Hydra would go down. They would make sure of that. 

Pepper, who had stayed quiet the whole time, looked at the two of them, got up, and said: “Come here, you two.” 

Before Steve knew it, he was hugging both of them, pulling them close to him. He was pretty sure Tony was crying against his shoulder. So was he. But it didn’t matter. His face was buried in Pepper’s hair, he was held by two of the most precious people in his life, and he was safe. 

They didn’t let go for a long time. That night, they slept in the same bed, but there was no sex, just nightmares and silent tears for something none of them had had any influence over. 

Still. They were safe. 

 

After that, things were - better, in a way. For a while, it seemed to Steve as if Pepper and Tony had begun to relax around him, at least more than they did before. None of them were people who vulnerability came easily to, and having shared that, it - well, it made a difference.

But still, life wasn’t exactly easy. There was training the new Avengers, and running missions, not to mention the billion dollar company Pepper was in charge of and the countless inventions Tony was working on. All the while, they were still trying to find and help Bucky, while politics became an ever tighter rope around their neck. Perhaps that was why he wasn’t surprised when it all exploded one day in a conference room with Pepper, Tony, Colonel Rhodes and some papers he would never in his life sign. 

“We can’t just go into other countries and do military missions!” Tony was yelling, half-rising from his seat.

“So you’re willing to turn us into pawns?” Steve yelled right back, already standing.

“No, I’m willing to offer some fucking accountability for once in our lives!” 

“What do you know about that?” Steve asked wrathfully. 

“I know what happens when it’s not there!” 

Steve paused and looked at him. Really looked. Saw the ravage stress had left on his face, the slight shaking in his hands, the slump to his back. 

Half a year ago, Tony Stark would never have let himself look like that in front of Steve. 

Steve made himself take a deep breath. “What happens if they try to use us?” 

Tony, clearly noticing the relaxing tension, sat back into his seat, but it was Colonel Rhodes who answered. “Then you say no, as every soldier can. All of us swore an oath on values, Captain. Refusal to violate them is written into it.”

Pepper looked like she didn’t want to say it, but she added: “It’s far more likely that your hands will be tied in a situation where you want to interfere and are forbidden to. But this isn’t the League of Nations, Steve. With our history - both as a country and as the Avengers - it’s… well, it’s understandable that other nations are wary of benevolent intervention.” 

“It’s about accountability. Not putting ourselves above civilian governments.” Rhodes nodded. 

Steve was listening. He really was. He wasn’t convinced yet - but he was also sure that they hadn’t reached the core of the issue yet. “Tony?” 

“If we don’t do this now, I don’t know how to protect other people with superpowers,” Tony whispered. “It will get so much worse, Steve. Ross is an asshole, and - what if he proposes to register all superhumans in the US next? What will you negotiate with then? This will limit his influence. And…” 

“And?” 

“I know you don’t believe me. I know none of you do, not really,” and oh, Steve was angry, but how he wished Tony wouldn’t sound so matter-of-fact when he said stuff like that, “but there is something bigger coming. I’ve seen it through that wormhole. Thor knows it, too. I have no idea if we can win that fight. But I want us to have a chance. If we lose ourselves in politics now...” 

Steve forced himself to think about that. Tony was right. Steve didn’t really believe that, or rather, he was too focused on his own particular evil monster here on Earth to think beyond that. 

“Bucky?” 

“We got Ross to agree on full amnesty for all victims of the Winter Soldier program in return to our signing. Doesn’t mean there mightn’t be civil suits or other governments going in for revenge - in fact, I’m sure there will be - but they’ll be safe on US soil.” 

In the end, it all came down to trust. 

“Okay.” 

 

“I’m surprised you went along with this,” Natasha told him days later, after they’d informed their fellow Avengers of the changes to come. 

“Why? You don’t agree?” 

“I think it’s the smart thing to do,” Natasha said carefully. 

Steve raised an eyebrow at her. “Are you calling me stupid?” 

“No, just more inclined to trust yourself than an organization.” 

“True.” Steve switched arms, wincing as his triceps reluctantly relaxed. Sparring with Black Widow was brutal, even for him. “Guess I decided to listen to Tony for once.” He thought for a second. “Also, there’s always time to go rogue later.”  

Natasha’s lips twitched, but she only said: “Getting along better, then?” 

Steve nodded. “He’s been very helpful.”

“I know. He’s looking for Bruce, too.” 

Steve internally winced. Natasha hadn’t spoken of Bruce ever since the battle, since the Hulk had taken the Quinjet to space. He hadn’t known how to bring up the topic, either. 

“I’m guessing that’s a tad more difficult?"

“He says he can only track the Quinjet so far. It flew into a wormhole. So the search field is the entire universe. If the jet made it through intact.” 

“Shit.” 

She smiled at his profanity. There wasn’t much humour in it. “No one activated the search beacon, in any case.” 

“Would the signal have made it here?” 

“Apparently Stark has space-proofed all his jets and communication systems.” Somehow, Steve wasn’t surprised to hear that. “It would take some time, depending on where the jet is. Years, maybe. But even Thor in Asgard didn’t pick up anything.” 

“I’m sorry.”

She shrugged and changed the topic. “So. You and Stark and Pepper?” 

Oh great. Steve could feel himself blush. 

“What are you talking about?” 

Unsurprisingly, she wasn’t fooled. Instead, she called over to the training area: “Falcon!” 

Steve very much wanted to hide his face in his hands when Sam joined them, curiosity written all over his face. “What’s up?” 

“You owe me ten,” Natasha informed him. 

Sam’s eyes widened. “No way!  _ Both _ of them?” 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” 

Steve liked to think he sounded dignified, but Sam was laughing. 

“First we have to convince you to even ask them for assistance, and next thing we know you’ve moved in and are sleeping with New York’s power couple? Your life is unreal, man, unreal.” 

Steve was tempted to deny it, he really was. In the end, though, Sam’s mirth was too infectious, and he just joined in his laughter. Even Natasha laughed along and that was worth pretty much any joke at Steve’s expense, in his opinion. 

Sam’s phrasing made him think, though. Pepper and Tony had been exceedingly generous - not just with material things, which Steve was apt to ignore, anyways, but with their time and effort and - affection. They’d invited him as a guest into their relationship when they hadn’t needed to, even. Maybe it was because of their own curiosity, but Steve couldn’t deny that it had made the past year so much better for him.  And what had he done for them in exchange? Nothing, really.

That would need to change. His mother had raised him to be better than that.

 

During his time with the Howling Commandos and later, at SHIELD, Steve had often been called a workaholic, throwing himself into the good fight and never stopping. These days, he scoffed at that notion. He took  _ breaks _ , okay. Back then, there’d been drinking in pubs and going out with Bucky and trying to get Peggy to notice him. Now, there was getting coffee with Natasha, leisurely (well, to him) runs with Sam with a nice breakfast after, joking with the team, and relaxed evenings in the tower, just him and his sketchbook. 

Tony and Pepper, though? Almost never off. When he first came to live at the tower, Steve had thought they worked twenty hours a day and had earned every free minute. Now, he knew that they actually crammed a forty-hour-day into twenty hours and basically didn’t have any free time. It was a mystery to Steve how they found time to actually, you know, spend time together as a couple, let alone the time they shared with him. It was like they thought they were robots, just there so everything else could go smoothly. 

Well, they were more than that to him. He’d show them. 

 

Tony’s face when Steve brought him food the first time was pretty priceless. 

“You haven’t eaten in a day,” Steve told him firmly. It was true, too. Friday, he’d noticed, was not nearly as good as Jarvis at getting Tony to eat. “I know you won’t stop working enough to come to the kitchen, but take five minutes to wolf this down, alright?” 

 

Pepper’s expression, Steve noted as he dropped the bento box with salad and yakitori chicken on rice down on her desk, was almost the same as Tony’s. He chuckled at that thought for weeks to come. 

 

To his surprise, Friday eventually started to become his co-conspirator. It was as if she knew that she couldn’t replicate Jarvis’ way of caring for his creator and his loved one, so she tried to find her own, letting Steve know how long it had been since they had eaten or taken a break. Or, in this case, when Pepper was on her way to the elevator. It was an enormous help in knowing when to start filling Tony’s bathtub with hot water and light the scented candles. 

This way, when Pepper entered the apartment at the top of the tower after a long, long day, Steve was ready to intercept her. 

“Steve!” She looked up in surprise. “You’re still up?” 

“Waiting for you, actually,” he replied, handing her a glass of champagne. (He’d learned some from Tony’s book, okay.) “I have something prepared for you.” 

Pepper’s eyebrow rose. She looked intrigued. Steve didn’t answer her unspoken question, just gently maneuvered her towards the bathroom, opening the door with a bit of a flourish. 

For a moment, when he looked at what he prepared, he wondered if this was too much. After all, he wasn’t  _ actually _ Pepper’s boyfriend. 

Pepper sighed, and he thought he could see some tension leave her already. “That looks wonderful, Steve. Thank you.” 

She took a sip of the champagne, then put the glass aside to start stripping. Steve cleared his throat and started to turn away, intent on leaving her to it. 

Her voice stopped him. “That’s not very polite.” 

“What isn’t?” 

“Leaving me like that.” 

Steve would be lying if he hadn’t thought about getting in there with her. But, honestly, it had been more about - “I wanted you to relax for once.” 

“There is more than one way to relax.” She moved closer, now completely naked. Christ. It didn’t seem to matter how many times Steve saw her naked, she always took his breath away. 

“...I can give a decent massage?” 

She laughed and swatted at him. “Oh, get naked already.” 

Steve laughed, too, and blushed a bit, and followed her order.

Pepper motioned for him to get in first, and then settled into his arms without hesitating, despite the tub being big enough that they could afford some distance. It was nice. Almost as if they were in a real relationship. 

As if she had read his thoughts, Pepper whispered conspiratorially: “Hey, I bet I know how we can get Tony out of his workshop.” 

“I know you’re a miracle worker, Pepper, but….” 

She grinned. “Friday? Open a comm link to Tony, please.” 

For a moment, they listened to the sounds of Tony working.

“Tony?” Steve eventually asked.

“Hmmm.” 

“You coming up anytime soon?” 

“Hmmm…”

“Friday, please project a snapshot of us right in front of his face.” Pepper winked at Steve.

There was a second of silence during which Steve liked to imagine Tony stared at the picture open-mouthed.

“Now that - that is almost too convincing,” Tony said. “Are you sure Loki isn’t there hiding behind the toilet, ready to poke me with his magic stick again?” 

Steve’s face scrunched up. “Please never use that phrasing again.”

“Shut up and come join us, Tony,” Pepper ordered, “or we’ll get started without you.” 

Unsurprisingly, Tony made it in three. Pepper and Steve  _ had _ , in fact, started without him, but he didn’t seem to mind. 

 

“Why do you do this?” Pepper asked him one day when Steve interrupted an intensive business discussion between her and Tony to remind them about their more human needs. 

“Because you don’t eat if no one reminds you? And sushi is delicious.” 

“True,” Pepper acknowledged, “but you know you don’t need to do this, right? We can take care of ourselves.”

“Well, mostly,” Tony interjected. “I remember some lectures from you on that.” 

Pepper ignored him: “I just want you to know there is no obligation for you to do this.” 

Tony nodded. He looked a bit wary, but mostly confused. 

So was Steve. It didn’t sound to him like they were angry with him for interfering too much, so what was the problem? 

Then again, if what he had googled about Obadiah Stane ever since their talk about him had been true, maybe both of them hadn’t had the best experience with people taking care of them. Steve’s heart bled for them a little, and it made his voice soft when he said: “But I want to.” 

Neither of them seemed to know how to answer that.

 

It was a good life. Still, one thing was missing, and when, one winter morning, the message finally,  _ finally _ came that Bucky had been found, Steve was ready. In his uniform in less than three minutes, he grabbed his bag and ran to the hangar, where he found Pepper and Tony already waiting. Tony wasn’t suited up, so he likely wasn’t coming along. 

“We found where the other Winter Soldiers are kept. Bucky is likely making his way there, going by his recent movements in Eastern Europe,” Pepper informed him.

“He looking to free them or to join them?” Steve asked. 

“We think free them. He’s staying hidden. There are easier ways to be picked up by Hydra.” 

“This StarkPad is linked to all the surveillance cameras in the area, including those in the facility itself,” Tony told him, handing him the slim device. “Natasha will know how to use it.” 

“Lay low, wait till he shows up, apprehend him and the other soldiers and get them out.” Steve nodded. 

“Typical day for the Avengers,” Tony smiled. It didn’t look very happy. 

“But you won’t be coming?” 

Tony shook his head. “I’d rather help Pepper smooth over the shitstorm this is gonna cause. Keep Ross off your back. If you need backup, Peter and I’ll be there.” 

Right, the kid Tony had all but adopted as a protegé by now. Steve smiled, excitement filling him. “Good. He’d be really useful apprehending someone without hurting them.” 

Pepper grimaced. “I’ll be the one explaining that particular school trip to his aunt, I can already tell.” 

They laughed. 

Then Pepper turned serious. “Steve, one thing before you go.” 

“Yes?” 

Tony’s arm slid around her for support. “We just wanted you to know that it’s - it’s fine.” 

Steve blinked. “What is?” 

“It was great, having you here with us. But we know Bucky is your priority and we won’t tell him-” To Steve’s dismay, Pepper’s voice actually broke at that, and were those tears shimmering in her eyes?

“We won’t make it awkward for you,” Tony finished up for her. 

Wait. Was Steve hearing this right? “You think I’m going to - what, be with Bucky now?”

Tony looked like he desperately wished for his sunglasses, but he soldiered on, talking quickly: “Yeah. We kinda figured - it’s hard being separated from your loved one, right? So we figured we’d offer you closeness another way. Only - we - we might have become too involved.”

“Neither of us is very good at this, in case you didn’t notice,” Pepper explained, smiling self-deprecatingly. “Relationships, I mean. But it’s fine!” She added hastily. “It’s absolutely fine this way, too.” 

Steve knew he was grinning, now. He couldn’t help it. “You want a relationship with me?” 

They looked confused, but both nodded.

“Then we should do that. I mean - we  _ have _ been doing that, but for real, now. With all of us knowing what it means. I kinda thought you just invited me for fun or - or something.” 

Oh, that hadn’t been very smooth. He should probably leave the words to the two of them. Then again, they did look rather flabbergasted. 

“But - Bucky?” 

Steve’s grin widened. “Is my best friend since childhood who I love in an entirely platonic and very different way than you two.” 

“Oh.” Pepper actually looked lost, now, like a truth she had held on to for a year now had suddenly vanished. 

Of course, Natasha chose that moment to radio in. “We’re picking you up, Captain. ETA sixty seconds.” In the background, he could hear Sam yell: “We’re getting ya boy!” 

“Thank you, Widow,” Steve replied, his eyes never leaving Tony and Pepper. He switched the receiver off, determined to use this last, precious minute alone. 

“I’m sorry, I need to go.” 

Pepper said: “Of course.” Tony just nodded. Neither of them looked too happy. Steve’s heart was light with being so close to finding Bucky and the knowledge that they wanted him, but he could see they weren’t quite there yet. So for once he gave in to his instinct and gathered them close. 

Gently, he kissed first Pepper, then Tony on the forehead. “I’ll be back in a week at the latest, okay?” 

Pepper smiled, and Tony gave a wave. “Sure thing, buddy.” 

They weren’t quite convinced yet, Steve thought. Well, he couldn’t blame them for that. But he’d show them. He’d go free Bucky, and then he’d return, and he’d stay. 

Right now, Steve couldn’t think of anything he wanted more. 


End file.
